A study on the collision of hydrogen ions H1+, H2+and H3+with a water-vapour target

The authors have measured the total cross sections of charge exchange and electron loss for energies between 2 keV and 60 keV. The use of a calorimetric detector permits the authors to determine the ratio delta 0 / delta + of the secondary emission coefficient of neutral particles to that of ions for H 1 0 , H 1 + , H 2 0 , H 2 + , H 3 0 and H 3 + impinging on a CuO-Be target (electron multiplier cathode). These results allow us to make absolute measurements for the cross sections sigma 10 and sigma 01 . The experimental results are compared with those of other authors; particularly they allow the verification of the additive rule, starting from sigma 10 and sigma 01 values on O 2 and H 2 obtained by other authors. A theoretical treatment was attempted based upon Gryzinski's theory.